By denying Israelis any sense of security in major cities inside Israel, the Israeli public could, once more, turn against Netanyahu for failing to deliver on any of his lofty promises.
Even if the Israeli right has lost all faith in Netanyahu, without him as a unifying figure, all is lost, not only the chances of the far-right camp to redeem itself, but also the very future of Zionism.
When Netanyahu mattered, his speeches often led to wars, or major regional instability. But Netanyahu no longer matters, except for a few US politicians vying for re-election.
Trump’s politics is abashedly Machiavellian. During his only term in office between 2017 and 2021, he served the role of the American genie, granting Israel’s every wish.
“There will be no civil war” in Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on June 18. But he might be wrong.
Netanyahu does not seem to have an actual plan for Gaza, neither for now nor after the war. So, he prolongs the war despite the fact that his army is exhausted, depleted and is being forced to fight on multiple fronts.
All of Netanyahu’s political shenanigans, which served him well in the past, would fall short from allowing him to return to power.
Netanyahu must be restrained. If not, the Israeli genocide in Gaza will multiply into other genocides throughout the Middle East.
Netanyahu is desperate to show that Israel remains a powerful country and a regional power that deserves its often-touted status of having an ‘invincible’ army.
Certainly, what is taking place in ‘democratic’ and ‘stable’ Israel is truly unprecedented. Israel’s current vulnerability is accentuated by the massive and rapid changes to the political map of the Middle East and the world.
Though much of Israel’s self-proclaimed ‘independence’ was an outcome of unconditional US support, Israelis hardly acknowledge this fact.
To live up to Israel’s expectations and to ensure its survival, the PA is willing to clash directly with Palestinians who refuse to toe the line.
Now, armed with a stable coalition, immune from any meaningful criticism, let alone tangible consequences to his action, the Israeli leader feels ready to carry out his right-wing agenda without further hesitation.
For Netanyahu, the frequent deadly raids on Palestinian towns and refugee camps translate into political assets that allow him to keep his extremist supporters happy. But this is short-term thinking.
Time will tell what direction Washington will take in the future. But, considering the current evidence, support for Israel is dwindling at rates that are unprecedented.
It is the unity of those resisting on the ground, from Gaza to Nablus, and from Jenin to Sheikh Jarrah, that matters most.
While Israeli politicians and military strategists are openly fighting over who has cost Israel its precious ‘deterrence,’ very few seem willing to consider that Israel’s best chance at survival is peacefully co-existing with Palestinians.
Condemning Smotrich’s comments, while continuing to embrace Israel and celebrate Zionism is not only hypocritical, but also useless.
Ultimately, it took only six years for Africa to prove Netanyahu wrong, that Israel “did not return to Africa”. It is true, however, that Africa itself is returning to its anti-colonial roots.
With a rightwing, pro-war constituency that is far more interested in illegal settlement expansion and ‘security’ than economic growth or socio-economic equality, Netanyahu should, at least technically, be in a stronger position to launch another war on Gaza. But why is he hesitating?